WETHERSFIELD >> Connecticut’s economy added 3,600 jobs in October, according to the state Department of Labor, although the unemployment rate remained unchanged.

Connecticut’s unemployment rate stayed at 6 percent in October, lagging behind the 5.8 percent national jobless rate. State Labor Department officials said Thursday that Connecticut has added jobs in 10 of the last 12 months and that the unemployment rate has fallen 1.2 percent compared to a year ago.

“Connecticut’s job market continues to steadily add jobs this year at the best pace since the recovery began and that growth seems to be drawing more people into the labor force,” Andy Condon, Director of the Labor Department’s Office of Research, said in a statement. “Retail trade was especially strong this month, possibly reflecting an earlier buildup for the holiday season, although the government sector is experiencing continued declines.”

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called the October employment numbers “another sign of progress.”

“With more than 70,000 private sector jobs created since January of 2011, we are experiencing one of the best periods of growth in decades,” Malloy said in a statement. “More work remains to be done, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure Connecticut remains on a path towards an economic revival. By working with the business community on expanding their operations or relocating to our state, we are putting Connecticut on the path to long-term prosperity.”

Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research for New Haven-based DataCore Partners, was less sanguine about the state employment picture, both for October and beyond.

Klepper-Smith said the state’s October employment numbers are“in line with expectations given the national gain of 214,000 jobs.”

“Nothing really stands out this month,” he said in a statement. “At the current pace of job growth witnessed in recovery thus far, it will not be until mid- to late 2016 before we see full job recovery. We saw full job recovery at the national level in May 2014, but it will be (at least) another two years at the current pace of job growth before we see it here in Connecticut.”

The retail trade sector added 2,400 jobs, which state labor officials said is an indication of earlier than usual hiring for the holiday shopping season, Other sectors with big employment gains were education, which added 1,100 jobs and health services, which added 2,400.

The private sector added 4,900 jobs in October, according the data released by the state Labor Department. With the 3,600 jobs that the state added overall in October, Connecticut has recovered 87,900 positions or 73.8 percent of the 119,100 jobs that were lost in the last recession.

The employment sector with the most significant job loss was government, which saw 400 state jobs lost and 800 at the local level. Among private sector job groupings, finance and insurance companies cut 400 jobs.

Among the state’s six major labor market areas, four posted gains with the Norwich-New London area topping the list with 1,100 jobs. The New Haven labor market area added 700 jobs.

Hartford, which is the state’s largest labor market, lost 600 jobs in October.